The Hazards Of SP’s Tillamook Branch – Falling Logs!

The Hazards Of SP’s Tillamook Branch – Falling Logs!

Operating the Southern Pacific Tillamook Branch has always been a challenge due to the steep terrain of the Oregon Coast Range that it traverses. The pounding winter storms and flood waters also posed special challenges to the railroaders who kept the line open over the years.

Here is another hazard faced by operators of the Tillamook Branch loggers! As we see in this view taken by H.L. Arey, some loggers cutting down old growth timber above the SP tracks near Cochran have dropped a couple large logs down on the tracks blocking east-west travel for the time being.

Today as our crews at the Oregon Coast Scenic RR are re-opening the line in this stretch of railroading we are ever mindful of all the challenges that we have in keeping this line in service.